SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- An Orange County lawmaker who inadvertently broadcast explicit remarks about his sexual conquests over an open microphone abruptly resigned from office Wednesday after legislative leaders stripped him of his committee posts and launched an ethics probe of his actions.
Assemblyman Mike Duvall, a Republican from Yorba Linda, whose remarks were videotaped in July during a lull in a Sacramento hearing, stepped down less than 24 hours after the tape spread online Tuesday night.
In the video, the married family-values crusader talks in graphic detail about women he said he slept with -- at least one of whom appeared to be a lobbyist with business before the utilities committee on which Duvall sat as vice chair.
aI am deeply saddened that my inappropriate comments have become a major distraction for my colleagues in the Assembly,a Duvall said in a written statement Wednesday afternoon. aIt would not be fair to my family, my constituents or to my friends on both sides of the aisle to remain in office. Therefore, I have decided to resign.a
The sudden scandal was one more bruise for Sacramento as it lurches toward Friday, the end of a particularly unproductive legislative year, with unfinished work on such major issues as the prisons crisis and the stateas wobbly water infrastructure.
And the speed with which Duvall was pushed out the door was small comfort to Capitol-watchers who say the case shows the persistence of anything-goes behavior in the Legislature.
aThe use of sexual favors is just one more example of the tactics that energy companies and lobbyists have used to win favorable laws from lawmakers,a said Kathay Feng, president of California Common Cause.
As TV camera crews chased lawmakers through Capitol corridors for comment on the scandal Wednesday, the place was abuzz with gossip: other lawmakers with lobbyist mistresses, inappropriate invitations to romantic dinners, married legislators and industry officials canoodling at fundraisers and after-hours mixers.
Duvall, some said, just happened to get caught.
His remarks were videotaped during a July hearing of the Assembly Appropriations Committee and aired on Los Angeles television station KCAL on Tuesday night. In the video, the socially conservative Duvall tells fellow Assemblyman Jeff Miller, a Republican from Corona, in uninhibited detail about trysts with two women, neither of them his wife.
The KCAL report says one of the women is a lobbyist for a major utility with business before Duvallas committee. In the video, Duvall says her birthday is July 6. That matches the birthdate of a Sacramento lobbyist for the San Diego-based energy firm Sempra.
Sempra issued a written statement saying it is investigating the matter, but its aemployee has denied the speculative media reports.a
On the tape, Duvall describes the alittle eye-patch underweara worn by one of the women. He refers to the age gap between her and him, after a recent birthday made them 18 years apart. aNow, youare getting old, man, I am going to have to trade you in,a he said he told her.
And he mentions a second woman, in less detail.
aCher, Shar, Shar -- oh, she is hot. I talked to her yesterday. She goes, aSo are we finished?a a Duvall says, adding that he replied no. He continues: aAnd I go, aYou know about the other one, but the other one doesnat know about you.a a
The Capitol Resource Institute, a conservative, self-described apro-familya advocacy organization that had given Duvall a a100 percenta score for his voting record on issues of concern to the group, denounced the lawmaker in a statement.
aIt is always disappointing when a champion of traditional values does not practice the same in his private life,a said Karen England, executive director of CRI.
Some GOP leaders were relieved by the resignation.
aSticking around for a while would have just prolonged the agony, and he would have had the same result,a said Scott Baugh, Orange County Republican Party chairman.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger now has 14 days to call a special election to fill Duvallas seat, which could be held as soon as the first week in November. Orange County officials say that election will cost taxpayers between $330,000 and $440,000.
Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, a Democrat from Los Angeles, said the Legislature plans to investigate Duvall and any conflicts of interest that may have resulted from affairs he boasted about. One member of the legislative ethics panel that will oversee the inquiry said privately there maybe efforts to broaden it to include other lawmakers alleged to have intimate relations with lobbyists.
California Attorney General Jerry Brown declined to comment on calls from consumer advocates that he launch a criminal investigation. Duvallas avotes on utility issues should be investigated to determine whether they were compromised,a said Doug Heller, executive director of Consumer Watchdog in Santa Monica.
Duvall joined other Republicans in voting several times this year against renewable energy measures opposed by Sempra Energy. The measures would require utilities to derive significantly more electricity from solar, wind, geothermal and other renewable energy sources by 2020.
In Orange County on Wednesday, Duvallas constituents expressed shock at the events leading to his resignation.
Placentia Councilwoman Constance Underhill said Duvallas behavior was outrageous, especially if his dalliances were with lobbyists who had business with his committee. aIf thatas true,a she said, ahe sold out for sex.a
Bob Bowdish, 62, who said he was once Duvallas letter carrier and has for years crossed party lines to vote for the Assemblyman, said, aThe public deserves more. ... The fact of the matter is, what he did was wrong. This will ruin more than his political career.a
At least one local resident saw opportunity in the mess, however. aHe did the right thing under the circumstances,a said Orange County Supervisor Chris Norby.aHe did it quickly. And Iam going to do the right thing. I will be seeking the seat.a
Times staff writers Eric Bailey, Dana Parsons and My-Thuan Tran contributed to this report.
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